Help a first timer please.

[kbarj]

I have a leopard 3" and a sulcata 10". They go outside in the daytime and in at night. Summer is fine but I must get an indoor enclosure ready as it is getting down to 50s at night now. The little one, Fritz, is easy but the bigger one, Rover, Land Rover that is, is the problem. I need to put them in the basement so I thought I would do this.
Build a corner in the basement with two boards. 4'x8'. I'm thinking it needs a floor, not just the concrete, so considered a plywood sheet of some kind. Therein lies the problem. Is there something water proof I could use? I have a bag of coarse coconut fiber and some Exo Terra forest moss for their hide.
Also, how warm should the sulcata be? I have a 250W clear heat lamp for him now outside in the horse stall that is his nighttime home. A pile of hay under it that he burrows under.
I also got a 10.0 UVB reptisun 18" that I thought I would have them share with their enclosure side by side. I understand they should not be together?
Thank you,
Kansas City MO

 

[leigti]

Try a rubber stall mat, for horses, as the floor base.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Your plywood floor should be considered disposable. Don't worry about protecting it. But I really doubt 4x8 is big enough for the sulcata. You'll need about twice that size this winter, and even much bigger than that next winter. The two tortoises each need their own enclosure. You're asking for trouble and the little one may get injured keeping them together.

Put down the plywood, then you can either add substrate or buy those rubber horse stall mats from a feed store and put that down on the plywood. Then you can add the substrate over that. The plywood will last the winter at least.

The light sounds ok to me, however, it may be hard to keep your basement warm enough for the tortoises. The temp shouldn't be allowed to get much below 60 for the sulcata, but the little leopard should be kept upwards of 75F.

 

[kbarj]

Try a rubber stall mat, for horses, as the floor base.

great idea!
Thanks!

 

[kbarj]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Your plywood floor should be considered disposable. Don't worry about protecting it. But I really doubt 4x8 is big enough for the sulcata. You'll need about twice that size this winter, and even much bigger than that next winter. The two tortoises each need their own enclosure. You're asking for trouble and the little one may get injured keeping them together.

Put down the plywood, then you can either add substrate or buy those rubber horse stall mats from a feed store and put that down on the plywood. Then you can add the substrate over that. The plywood will last the winter at least.

The light sounds ok to me, however, it may be hard to keep your basement warm enough for the tortoises. The temp shouldn't be allowed to get much below 60 for the sulcata, but the little leopard should be kept upwards of 75F.

I can keep my ceramic heat emitter on the little guy. Hopefully it would keep at least part of his warm. I also thought about getting a piece of plexiglass to cover his. Would also help with humidity that he has been way low on. Maybe why he hasn't grown for the year I've had him?



OK, good. Now I understand pine shavings are bad, but how about pine plywood? Or should I get the 'hardwood' kind?

 

[AnimalLady]

If you could get your hands on some Membrane Roof that would work great. It is VERY water proof.

I think you can get this from a Roofing Supply store.

I buy this at my job for outdoor walkin applications.

 

[kbarj]

How about plank flooring like hardwood but not. Its plastic and 20 square feet is only like $18.

 

[AnimalLady]

I think you might have issues where the planks connect. I would think water could get in there?

What about tarp? I dont think its too expensive and you could get a huge piece for really cheap. You could lay that down as the base.

 

[leigti]

great idea!
Thanks!

I actually stole that idea from Yvonne. You can build a frame out of PVC then put I cover over it like a sturdy heavy duty shower curtain or a tart. It is amazing how well that keeps heat and humidity in. this is a picture of one I have done, it's sort of the rough draft, not prettied up at all but even when it's not "Airtight"it works so much better than an open top enclosure.

 

[leigti]

PVC pipe, heavy duty shower curtains, and some gorilla tape and you're ready to go. I would make a square frame over your large enclosure from how I can picture you wanting to do it.